I cried out in agony and tried again. I slammed my eyes shut and thought of healing Rafe. How I only needed enough magic to heal him.
Rafe took a shuddered breath beneath me. He was bleeding and dying before me, and I had nothing left to help him with. I could only sit here and watch it all happen.
I willed more magic into Rafe, but only one small strand left my fingertips.
“No!” I sobbed, running my fingers through his fur. This could not be happening. Not again. Rafe had sacrificed himself, and that distraction had been the thing to throw the king’s focus enough to help us stop him. I had the ability to heal Rafe, but I was out of magic.
I heard footsteps next to me. Owen did something with his hands and then he was there, offering his bloodied palm out to me.
I kept my hands on Rafe’s shuddering body. “What?”
“Take my magic,” Owen offered. “It’ll strengthen your own. It’s worth a shot. We don’t have the time to figure out the sword.”
I took my eyes off Rafe to look at Owen. He had wanted to become kin bonded to Krew, not me. “I—”
“Jorah, there isn’t time. He’s dying.” Owen moved, reaching over to take and slice my hand. He pushed his into mine. He didn’t hesitate to say the words. “I willingly give you this magic, Jorah Collette Demir Valanova. To protect, to empower, to honor. A thousand lifetimes may pass, yet I will stand steady, bound with you.”
Tears poured out of my eyes as I choked out, “I willingly receive this magic, Owen Raikes. To protect, to empower, to honor. A thousand lifetimes may pass, yet I will stand steady, bound with you.”
I felt the tingle where our blood met, and then a sizzle of sting as magic poured into my body. Since I was already Enchanted, there was no settling in time, it was immediate.
Rafe’s breath made a gurgling noise.
Owen didn’t move his hand from mine. “Try again. Hurry.”
With a shaking breath, I called my magic up and into Rafe without delay.
I winced, worried nothing would be there, but there was. Silver magic poured out of my fingertips and into Rafe. It was working. Owen had given me some of his magic, but in doing so, he’d made my own stronger.
With my right palm still in Owen’s, I sunk the fingertips of my left hand into Rafe’s fur and along his skin. I took a deep breath and willed more magic into him, willed him to be healed. Willed him to somehow be okay. I pictured him running through the forest at my side, healthy and alive.
My tears were falling onto his fur too, but now they had a silver tint to them, when just a moment before they hadn’t.
As my tears and magic wrapped around the wolf, Krew’s magic joined mine, trying to further strengthen it. I didn’t even know if that would work for healing, but I was grateful he tried.
Owen sent some of his too. And then Keir also.
There in the middle of taking down the king, we fought like hell together to save a wolf. A wolf who’d sacrificed everything to help us do the impossible.
At first nothing happened. I thought maybe we were too late yet again. Rafe was gone. But he took one breath, the wet rattling absent. Then another clear breath. And another.
I gasped and kept pouring magic into him. I didn’t stop until he opened his eyes to look at me and then I threw my arms around him.
We’d done it. We’d saved Rafe.
I moved to hug Owen just as hard.
He slowly helped me to my feet, handing me the queen’s sword and giving me a nod.
I spun back toward the king, knowing that although Krew still had magic left, he and Keir also couldn’t keep their hold on their father forever. The gauntlets weren’t enough. It was time to end this.
I slowly walked toward Krew. Owen’s magic had given me the energy to get through this, though I still felt the blood on my face and now also coming out of my ears.
I pulled up to a stop before the king. This man who had promised just this morning to kill his own son.
Wylan deserved so much better.
Krew deserved so much better.
